Chinese pork ribs recipe Braised

Today I will share my mom’s secret recipe for braised pork spare ribs! Well, it’s not a secret, but it’s our family’s traditional cooking method that is not so commonly used elsewhere.

I always bring my own lunch box to work. Every time I pack these braised ribs and heat them in the office microwave, my co-workers will blame me that the smell has gotten them super hungry (my bad!). My boss complimented me on it several times and finally asked for the recipe.

Although my mom has made this dish many, many times, she never cooked it using measurements, and thus I never had a recipe. The day my boss came to my desk and asked for the recipe AGAIN, I finally decided that I would write down the measurements next time my mom cooked it (read: to keep my boss happy and keep my job).

This dish is a very easy to make. You don’t even need to brown the meat, and you can still get great texture and flavor in the ribs. By simmering all the way through, the pork soaks up a complex savory flavor that is great with rice. At the end of simmering, the pork will be so tender that it easily falls from the bone.

The key is to add seasoning in two batches. At first, only add the ingredients which do not contain salt. Adding pungent herbs from the beginning helps eliminate the gaminess of the pork. On the other hand, adding salt too early will tighten up the pork and require a longer braising time. Always add soy sauce and salt when the braising is halfway finished, when the meat starts to turn soft but still has enough time to absorb the flavor and the saltiness.

There is one ingredient in this recipe that you might not be able to obtain easily outside of China – the red fermented bean curd. It’s a preserved tofu product cooked with soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. Some people call it Chinese cheese, since its texture is similar with soft cheese and its taste is a bit stinky. In this recipe, I use red fermented bean curd to add a complex flavor to the sauce, which tastes a bit like Doubanjiang (Sichuan chili bean paste). There are two types of fermented bean curd, white and red. Those two have very distinct flavors. If you can’t find the red fermented bean curd or just don’t like its flavor, just skip it. The pork will still taste very nice.

If you cook a large batch of ribs, store the leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. Every time you don’t have time to cook a main dish for dinner or need something yummy to fill your lunch box, pull some ribs out of freezer and you’re good to go!

(updated 14th Oct 2014) Later on, I decided to write down all the delicious family recipes, the ones passed down from my grandma. I created the “Mom’s Best” series and continue to add recipes to the collection. You can also find mom’s best beef stew with tendon, Mom’s best braised duck leg, Mom’s best braised chicken stew with mushrooms and Mom’s best braised pork feet in the same series.

Mom's Best Braised Pork Spare Ribs

Total time

- Ask to have the pork ribs trimmed to short chunks when you buy them.
- Red fermented bean curd will add a very special flavor to this dish and is a very important ingredient in this recipe. But if you do not like the smell or you cannot find it, then leave it out and add a bit more salt to adjust the flavor.
- If you like your pork a bit sweeter, add 1 more tablespoon white sugar.
- I used a wok in this recipe, but you can replace it with a dutch oven.